Britain has deployed a new low-cost missile system to the Middle East in a move aimed at strengthening protection against drone attacks targeting “UK forces, citizens and regional partners.”

The UK Ministry of Defence said in a statement on Saturday that the Advanced Precision Kill Weapon System (APKWS) has now been fitted to RAF Typhoon fighter jets operating in the region, allowing the aircraft to destroy drones and other threats at “a fraction of the price” of the missiles currently in use.

“The system has now been deployed on operations in the Middle East with sorties flown by 9 Squadron RAF Typhoon fighter jets as part of the missions to defend British people, interests and partners from threats,” it noted.

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Luke Pollard, the minister for defence readiness and industry, said: “This has been a superb effort working with industry to test and deploy this system in a matter of months, which will help the RAF shoot down many more drones at a much lower cost.”

He added: “Our Typhoon fleet is the backbone of the UK and NATO air defence, with the RAF protecting Europe’s Eastern flank from Russian drone incursions and defending our partners across the Middle East.”

The APKWS uses a laser targeting system to convert unguided missiles into precision-guided weapons capable of engaging drones and other airborne threats.

The ministry said the development of lower-cost air defence systems would provide a more sustainable response to the growing use of drones in modern conflicts.